30 Trips to Plan a Year in Advance

One of the most sought-after safari experiences is witnessing the Great Migration, when millions of zebras, wildebeests, and other herd animals travel from Tanzania's Serengeti to the Masai Mara in Kenya. Alice Daunt, a travel specialist at Daunt Travel, suggests catching it from the Masai Mara, but cautions that the “there are literally eight beds at the best camps,” and just a couple camps she sends her clients to—not to mention a narrow window of travel (typically August through September). For those reasons, she suggests booking even a couple years in advance. (Roar Africa, another of our preferred travel planners, offers a Kenyan helicopter safari tour with August dates that'll deliver an unforgettable aerial view of the animals below.)

For any history buff, a journey to Egypt's ancient sites is the trip of a lifetime. There are a couple ways to do it—by land, or by Nile River Cruise—but we'd argue the best trip includes a bit of both. Hop on a smaller ship like a dahabiya from Nour el Nil, which drifts along the Nile with stops in Cairo, where you'll tour the Great Pyramids at Giza, Aswan for the High Dam and Temple of Philae, and Edfu, home to the shrine of the Falcon God Horus. Pre-pandemic, Nile cruises were so quickly spiking in popularity that local operators were struggling to keep up with demand, making planning ahead crucial to nabbing your itinerary of interest.

Carnaval needs no introduction: The vibrant festival, with iterations all around the world, is an over-the-top celebration you have to see to believe. Carnaval in Rio is the largest of them all, meaning you'll have to compete with other travelers for tickets to February's famous Sambodrome parade, and the very best hotel and restaurants reservations. The reward? A week of samba dancing in the streets, elaborate costumes, and live music filling the city—basically, one enormous block party. Work with a connected travel specialist, and you can sign up to march alongside performers, in full costume, on the big night.

Iceland draws travelers for many reasons: its thermal Blue Lagoon, black sand beaches, its effortlessly hip capital of Reykjavík. Until the pandemic, many travelers had to fight off the crowds in some of these places (so much so, that the government is currently rethinking its approach to tourism). So it's no wonder that planning a trip to see the Northern Lights streaking across the night sky requires thinking ahead—especially to get out and away from the other tour groups and lights of the capital. Because the sun doesn't truly set during the summer, the window to catch this site is from roughly September to April, with many considering November to February the true prime time.

Arriving to Machu Picchu on foot is on many travelers' lists for a reason. But because visiting the site, by trek or otherwise, has become so popular—with the ancient Incan ruins suffering from overtourism in recent years—the Peruvian government has placed caps on how many people can visit daily. They've also capped trekker capacity on the historic Inca Trail, a journey that can take anywhere from a couple days, to a week. Book in advance to visit during the dry season (from roughly April to October), which will also help you secure one of just 400 daily tickets to climb up the iconic peak of Huayna Picchu, offering great views over the ruins for a lucky few.

Mongolia is always on our must-visit list, but specialists caution that the “relatively uncharted destination” requires planning ahead, given that “domestic flights and accommodations are extremely limited and constantly in-demand,” says Jessica Wells of Black Tomato. If you have your pick of when to make the trip, Wells says few experiences can compete with visiting the country's far western region for the Golden Eagle Festival in October, when the culture of the Mongolia's famous eagle hunters is on display and over a thousand attendees turn out to watch. It's an experience she calls “utterly mesmerizing.”

“#DecemberInGhana as it's becoming known is a super festive time of the year,” says Cherae Robinson, founder of Tastemakers Africa, who runs an annual group trip to Ghana at the end of each year. “Small business owners bank their entire earnings on what happens in December and anybody who's anybody descends on Accra during the holiday season.” From the Afrochella festival to beach club pop-ups, Robinson says that getting the read on the events and snagging tickets can take time—and a seasoned expert—so it's important to plan ahead and book your hotel early, too, especially if you're coordinating with a group of travel buddies.

If you want to come face to face with the largest living primates—and one of our closest relatives—a gorilla trek in Rwanda must be on your list. It'll take at least a few months of planning to execute the bare bones of this trip, from securing required gorilla trekking permits to getting a reservation at the best lodges like Wilderness Safaris Bisate Lodge. But be ready for competition: There's always high demand to visit during the dry seasons from mid-December to early February, and June to September, when hiking conditions are best and malaria risk lowest.

In Piemonte, Italy, an annual festival brings celebrates the region's most famous export: the white truffle. The series of events takes place during peak truffle season in the fall, usually stretching over several weeks in October and November, during which truffle hunters peddle their finds, and market stalls fill the streets with tasty bites (truffled, and otherwise). Sebastian Lapostol, a travel expert at Trufflepig, calls this “unmissable for foodies and lovers of gastro-culture in general,” but notes that the best hotels near the event book up every year. He also expects the interest to continue to grow, particularly following the March release of The Truffle Hunters, a documentary that follows a group of the town's septuagenarian truffle experts.

Some of the best flight deals tend to be to Europe—but just because you can plan a cheap, last-minute trip to the continent doesn't mean you should bank on that when it comes to certain events. To experience Europe's fantastic Christmas markets, for example, which fill city squares with mulled wine and seasonal cakes come December, you'll want to plan a full calendar year beforehand to snag conveniently located hotels (not to mention reservations at festive destination restaurants). The good news? From Prague to Berlin to Edinburgh, the markets are plentiful and open to all, so you don't have to snag tickets in advance.

There's so much to see in South Africa alone—from tastings in the winelands, to Big Five game drives at the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. But David Rubin, a travel specialist at David Travel, says to take advantage of the 20-plus hours of plane travel it takes to reach Cape Town and combine that journey with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the South Pole. It'll take a five-hour flight across the Southern Ocean to reach Antarctica, then another seven-hour flight to the South Pole, but the reward is being "transported to another world,” says Rubin. To do this journey with an epic overnight at the White Desert camp located on the South Pole itself (at 83 degrees latitude, to be exact), you'll need to coordinate with a specialist like Rubin at least a year in advance—these departures only operate between November 29 and January 31 each year, with less than one hundred spots available.

A road trip to a national park or two might seem like an easy last minute trip. But if there's anything we've learned in the past year, it's that everyone has the same idea come summertime. To visit the country's most beloved parks, like the Grand Canyon, Zion, Yosemite, and Yellowstone, right in the midst of the sunny high season (July and August), Sam Highley of All Roads North says it is “essential to plan ahead.” Limited accommodations, from park campsites to nearby hotels, mean you'll need to jump on the best places to stay. Plus, he notes, some parks enacted visitor caps during COVID-19 to prevent overcrowding, something Highley believes “may be re-introduced again over the busy summer months” this year.

“It takes a year to plan an Antarctica trip because there are a limited number of departures during peak season, and demand is high,” says Ashton Palmer, an expedition cruise specialist at Expedition Trips, who has been planning trips to the region for more than two decades. “Planning your trip with at least a year ahead of time you are assured the opportunity to confirm the departure and cabin of your choice.” Choosing the right ship doesn't just mean nabbing the most luxurious amenities like top-deck heated pools and ocean-view saunas for taking in the views of penguin-topped glaciers. Travelers worried about the rough waters of the Drake Passage will also want to prioritize getting a spot on state-of-the-art ships designed for smooth sailing. You might also want to plan your trip around an important natural event: like December 2021's total solar eclipse, only visible from Antarctica.

This historic pilgrimage, with a handful of trails that all converge on the town of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, is what bucket lists are made of. The journey—now popular among Catholics and non-believers alike—can take anywhere from a week to a month or two, depending on where you start, with nightly stops in tiny villages throughout northern Spain and Portugal. Trufflepig's Lapostol says, “[this trip] has to be planned at least a year in advance because the ideal windows for walking in this part of the world are narrow: April to June and September to October.” Plus, he adds, the best guides and hotels “a cut above the typical pensions and inexpensive hostels” are in high demand. Booking last minute could make for a very different experience—and probably don't want to skimp on comfort when you're walking 10 to 15 miles per day.

The Faroe Islands, a remote territory of Denmark that sits between Iceland and Norway, is one of many destinations that has put limits on visitor numbers in an effort to combat overtourism. So, if you want to witness the archipelago's colorful seaside villages, endangered puffins, or rushing waterfalls, you'll need to secure your visit well in advance, says Black Tomato's Marchant. Doing so will also make it easier to visit during the coveted summer months, when the weather is warmer and drier, and you'll get long days with nearly 20 hours of sunlight—perfect for maximizing your time on the islands.

The Galápagos Islands in Ecuador offer travelers the rare opportunity to see endemic species that informed Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Visitor numbers are strictly regulated to ensure that we don't trample the 9,000 species that still call the archipelago home out of existence. The best way to visit is by hopping one of an expedition cruises, though it's also possible to visit by land. Just note that there are caps on visitors entering the national park itself, in addition to rules on how many ships can sail the waters each year, and there are calls to further limit those visitor numbers.

A visit to Bhutan can be intimidating. Independent travel is discouraged, and visas for travelers must be obtained through a tour company. Plus, the government sets minimum tour prices for anyone visiting in the country (starting at $200 per person per day, and going up to $290, depending on when you visit and how many people you're with). But a visit to the country, which uses that money to promote economic wellbeing, sustainable living, and national welfare, is rewarding, particularly when paired with a trip to Nepal's holy temples. Carolyn Addision, the head of product at Black Tomato, calls the pairing a “luxurious, spiritual journey of self-discovery.” Addison advises that a year of planning ahead makes it possible for travelers to have rare experiences like “a private audience with the Kumari in Kathmandu,” which the company can arrange.

The most popular way to visit is Alaska by cruise—which means, though there are many ships and outfitters that will get you there, there are plenty of other travelers hoping to do the same. The cruises themselves don't usually require booking twelve months out, but the tours—like on-land excursions through Denali National Park's pristine wilderness, or smaller boat jaunts to witness glaciers up close and personal—do sell out far earlier, says Linda Allen-Spear of Cruises By Linda. She also cautions that the best cabins ("the low midship location is the most stable" for anyone concerned about getting seasick) also go quickly.

Indonesia has over 17,000 islands—which is to say, the hardest part of planning your trip will be narrowing down which to see for yourself. Sure, Bali with the temples of Ubud and its iconic beach scenes can't be missed; but there's also the nearly untouched island of Flores, now home to the Ayana Komodo Resort (and yes, you can get up close and personal with Komodo dragons here). Laidback Lombok with the surf town of Kuta and Mount Rinjani volcano is also a must-visit—as are the nearby Gili Islands, which draw many a snorkeler with their crystal clear waters and sea turtles. Daunt says a voyage through Raja Ampat, a remote archipelago off of West Papua with some of the richest marine biodiversity on earth, requires a year of planning on its own. Plan ahead to carve out a multi-stop itinerary that'll make the most of your time in the region.

Traveling to Patagonia is, essentially, a voyage to the ends of the earth. You'll need to first connect through a South American hub, like the tango capital of Buenos Aires or metropolitan Santiago, Chile—arguably warranting a few days of their own—before you reach the alpine lakes and glaciers of Patagonia. Explore Torres del Paine National Park, one of Chile's most iconic landscapes, and hang with Magellanic penguins at the Otway Sound, on the way to Puerto Natales (also in Chile). Or, listen to the cracks of Argentina's Perito Moreno Glacier, which is constantly moving. Plan ahead to hit it all, with stays in world-class lodges like Explora Patagonia.

Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan may be off the well-trodden tourist path, but they're well worth a visit. Tracing the ancient Silk Road trade networks through the region is the perfect way to connect it all. There’s stunning Islamic architecture, deep historical roots, and several UNESCO World Heritage sites. You can even get a private calligraphy lesson with a master in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, if you book with a travel company like GeoEx far enough in advance.

There are so many iconic destinations throughout India, it can be hard to choose. Take the time to plan an extended trip so you don't have to. In just northern India alone, you can spend a couple weeks bouncing between Delhi and Jaipur, taking a sunset cruise along the Ganges in ancient Varanasi, and visiting the Taj Majal in Agra—to name just a few must-have experiences. Best of all, a travel expert can help you book a knowledgable guide to join you through it all.

Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout much of Latin America, with traditions and rituals that vary greatly from one place to the next. Oaxaca's celebration is perhaps the most sought-after among travelers: not only do a large number of Oaxacans participate in the event personally, transforming the city's graveyards with marigolds, votives, and incense smoke, but there are lively parades that run through the historic city, which anyone is welcome to participate in. Finding a hotel room during this time is usually quite challenging, but Luis Vargas, the founder of Modern Adventure, says that "after essentially two years of not happening [because of the pandemic], Day of the Dead 2022 will be highly desired." In other words, start booking now.

The Amazon is one of those nearly mythical places, whose untamed wildlife and mind-boggling biodiversity could take a lifetime to explore. (It houses over 10 percent of all species known on Earth, to give you an idea.) Take the time to research which areas you most want to visit—entering through Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, or Colombia—and whether you want to use a lodge deep in the jungle as your homebase, book a spot on a boutique river cruise that'll follow the winding river through the rainforest, or do a bit of both. There's also no shortage of activities to choose between, from night safaris, to canoeing alongside pink Amazonian dolphins, to visiting cities like Peru's Iquitos or Brazil's Manaus for a taste of Amazonian street food and local culture.

There's a reason many of our editors keep returning to Morocco: It's full of lively cities and dynamic natural landscapes. In touring Fez, Marrakech, and Casablanca, you'll get to experience everything from visiting the Roman ruins of Volubilis to spending an evening in Marrakech's Djemaa el Fna market square—complete with musicians, fire eaters, storytellers, and snake charmers. With a year's notice, you can book a fantastic guide to take you through every stop—make sure to add on a stop at the beautiful Ourika Valley—and secure the best hotel rooms and tables in every city.

Sailing around Greenland, you'll be able to spot polar bears in the wild, visit ancient archaeological sites like Qilakitsoq (with mummies dating back to 1475), and dock at tiny waterfront villages right out of a storybook. And, if you time it right—with a visit between April and August—you can even catch the midnight sun. A small, expedition-style cruise is one of the best ways to inch toward the Arctic Circle, so you'll want to book early to get a spot on your dream itinerary (plus, you might need to stock up on trip-specific gear, depending on the excursions you plan to undertake).

There are a few epic peaks around the world, like Everest, that you could spend a lifetime preparing to climb. Summiting Kilimanjaro, however, is a much more accessible adventure—local outfitters typically advise a three- to six-month training plan for getting in shape. In addition to the time needed to physically and mentally prepare, it'd be impossible to leave Tanzania without a safari in the sprawling Serengeti or a few days of letting your muscles loosen up on the beaches of Zanzibar.

If you're heading to Japan, don't think you can visit for five days and call it done. Few travelers are able to resist sticking around for a couple weeks, making the journey from Tokyo to Osaka at the very least, as part of an itinerary that begs to be customized with the help of a travel specialist. In Tokyo, sample a traditional kushiage meal of fried meat and vegetables before visiting the Imperial East Garden and Meiji Shrine; in Kyoto, a castle, the Nishiki food market, and a traditional tea ceremony can be packed into one day. In between, an expert can help you seek out unique culinary and outdoor adventures that too many travelers miss on whirlwind visits.

If you haven't made it to Australia yet, don't worry: Though the sprawling continent can be intimidating to traverse in one go, many of the destination's greatest hits can be fit into a two-week trip if you plan it right. To knock off highlights like the Great Ocean Drive, surfing at Bondi Beach, and diving the Great Barrier Reef, plan to rent a car for a most memorable road trip. Getting your itinerary nailed down in advance will make it easier to track flights and save on the lengthy trans-Pacific journey as well (who knows, you might even be able to work in a stopover in Hawaii with enough foresight).